A daily newspaper has suspended comments on its website because of malicious posts by readers.
Comment on stories on the Lancashire Evening Post have been disabled since the start of the week.
The Johnston Press owned title has published a statement on its website telling readers that comments are closed and advises them to use its online forum instead.
It reads: “You may have noticed comments on all items on this website have been suspended. This is because of an on-going problem with persistent malicious posters abusing our comments facility.
“Regrettably we have been forced to take legal steps against one user and a number of others are under scrutiny. We appreciate the majority of users enjoy commenting on stories and do so in a positive manner and we hope to resume normal service online before too long.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused and would remind users that we are all bound by the same laws of libel, decency and prejudice online as in print.
“In the meantime we would ask that any user who wishes to comment on lep.co.uk use our forum.”
Editor of the LEP Simon Reynolds did not wish to comment when contacted by HTFP.
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There are many comments facilities abused by the same morons day after day. True, they may be taken off if you report it, but who wants a full-time unpaid moderating job?
These aforesaid morons only do it because they can hide behind anonymity. Good for Simon Reynolds.
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Always puzzles me why editors, who take so much care with the letters page, allow anonymous garbage on the comments boards. The same standards should apply …insisting on people using their full ID would be a start.
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@Lurker
“These aforesaid morons only do it because they can hide behind anonymity.”
Heehee
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Cleland thom
The reason comments aren’t scrutinised before publishing on-line is mainly a legal one. When the media owner moderates a comment they themselves become liable. It is therefore easier to allow comments to be published and them make a decision on whether to allow a particular comment once it has been reported (note the report this comment function all such sections).
This way you save manpower and are not liable for all comments only the ones brought to your attention. Also pre-moderating would mean a delay in posting comments which spoils the user experience.
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What Rose said. I have found that comments are normally removed quite quickly, the problem is of course ones posted over night.
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You can insist on whatever you like Cleland thom, but on the internet no one can hear you scream.
If people don’t want to play to you rules, they’ll jib you off and play somewhere else.
And we don’t want that, do we.
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Why allow comments and forums at all? they don’t make the websites money and they take up valuable time to look after when the trolls get going.
I appreciate the irony of putting this in a comment format
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I read once of an American newspaper that charges those who wish to comment about stories a one-off $1 fee to register their online name. Since the fee had to be paid by credit card, the person leaving a comment was traceable. How about UK newspaper publishers charging a nominal £1?
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@Dave
Comments might not make money directly.
But they increase hits since the commenters and the readers go back again and again to see what’s been said.
And a site with more hits is more attractive to advertisers.
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I agree with Mr T. The more comments you get mean the more times you get the comments and more time they’ll come back to get more comments.
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